Papers by Jason S . Cordova
Before Borders: Revealing the Greater Southwest’s Ancestral Cultural Landscape, 2020
A study conducted in 2011 by students at the Metropolitan State University of Denver used Analyti... more A study conducted in 2011 by students at the Metropolitan State University of Denver used Analytical Graphics
Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), a powerful physics modeling computer program, to evaluate the astronomical alignments of Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Using surveys and satellite images, computer models were created for
El Caracol and El Castillo, the pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan, which were integrated into the STK program. The
celestial alignments were confirmed after turning back the clock to take into account the Earth's precession cycles.
In addition, the computer models highlighted the precision architecture of the sites and demonstrated their observational utility for celestial objects. Through collaboration with contemporary Mayan and Aztec elders, studies
like this can provide a deeper cultural understanding of Indigenous sacred sites, in addition to making data more
accessible.
Un estudio realizado en 2011 por estudiantes de la Metropolitan State University en Denver utilizó Analytical
Graphics Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), un poderoso software de modelado de física, para evaluar las
alineaciones astronómicas de Chichén Itzá en México. A través de encuestas e imágenes satelitales, se crearon
modelos de computadora para El Caracol y la pirámide El Castillo, dedicado a Kukulkan, que se integraron en el
programa STK. Las alineaciones celestes se confirmaron después de invertir el reloj para tener en cuenta los ciclos de precesión de la Tierra. Además, los modelos de computadora destacaron la arquitectura de precisión de los
sitios y demostraron su utilidad de observación para los objetos celestes. A través de la colaboración con sabios
mayas y aztecas contemporáneos, estudios como este pueden proporcionar una comprensión cultural más profunda de los sitios sagrados indígenas, así como hacer que los datos sean más accesibles.
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Thesis Chapters by Jason S . Cordova
Dspace Tartu Ülikool, 2024
The Citlalin Codex Project aims to create an innovative online platform to preserve and showcase ... more The Citlalin Codex Project aims to create an innovative online platform to preserve and showcase Indigenous star knowledge, focusing on Mexicayotl communities in Colorado and New Mexico, the United States. By combining ethnographic fieldwork, autoethnography, remote sensing data, and original artwork, the project provides a secure and accessible method for documenting and sharing vernacular star lore.
The finished Digital Codex is a virtual museum exhibit, inspired by ancient Mesoamerican codices, displayed on the Museum of Prehispanic Astronomy's website. The Citlalin Codex combines traditional knowledge with innovative technology, facilitating knowledge transmission and remote fieldwork. It exemplifies the project's commitment to preserving cultural astronomy knowledge in an engaging and accessible format. The exhibit highlights the importance of star lore in fostering family bonding and cultural identity within Indigenous Mexicayotl communities.
The project employs ethnographic and autoethnographic fieldwork approaches, drawing upon Maryboy and Begay's comparative astronomy format from Sharing the Skies: Navajo Astronomy, to effectively present data. Cross-cultural analysis of star lore is informed by Barre Toelken's Dynamics of Folklore. To establish the digital codex, I conducted an in-depth exploration of vernacular star lore that emphasizes the importance of celestial bodies and events within the cultural practices of Indigenous Mexicayotl practitioners. Employing participant observation and ethnographic interviews, I examined how these groups draw upon ancient Mesoamerican cosmovision to preserve their ancestral practices, which are ingrained with the foundational cultural astronomy elements of timekeeping, ritual, navigation/orientation, and knowledge transmission. Three vernacular expressions exemplify the seamless integration of these foundational astronomy elements into the cultural fabric of the Mexicayotl way of life: the Mesoamerican calendar system, the Danza Azteca, and the Mesoamerican Ball Game.
The Digital Codex Project integrates multimedia by combining original artwork with Stellarium planetarium software, illustrating star lore elements and providing an engaging and interactive experience for users. These innovative methods aim to preserve and share cultural astronomy knowledge in an accessible manner. Since its inception, the project has evolved significantly to meet the needs of the Indigenous community and maintain its relevance for a broader audience. The goal was to create a valuable resource to directly benefit the community, focusing on both young audiences and the general public, rather than to serve solely academic interests.
The project serves as a powerful tool for preserving Indigenous cultural astronomy and fostering community engagement. By highlighting the resilience of Mexicayotl communities in confronting colonial legacies, the project supports the revitalization of ancestral practices. Additionally, it paves the way for educational outreach programs that broaden public understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems and their role in comprehending the cosmos. Expanding the Digital Codex scope will incorporate a broader range of Mesoamerican cultural astronomy practices and stories, enhanced by additional multimedia elements. A digital archive, hosted by the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest, will provide access to star lore data for Indigenous communities and researchers, addressing the limitations of the Digital Codex Exhibit.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
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Papers by Jason S . Cordova
Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), a powerful physics modeling computer program, to evaluate the astronomical alignments of Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Using surveys and satellite images, computer models were created for
El Caracol and El Castillo, the pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan, which were integrated into the STK program. The
celestial alignments were confirmed after turning back the clock to take into account the Earth's precession cycles.
In addition, the computer models highlighted the precision architecture of the sites and demonstrated their observational utility for celestial objects. Through collaboration with contemporary Mayan and Aztec elders, studies
like this can provide a deeper cultural understanding of Indigenous sacred sites, in addition to making data more
accessible.
Un estudio realizado en 2011 por estudiantes de la Metropolitan State University en Denver utilizó Analytical
Graphics Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), un poderoso software de modelado de física, para evaluar las
alineaciones astronómicas de Chichén Itzá en México. A través de encuestas e imágenes satelitales, se crearon
modelos de computadora para El Caracol y la pirámide El Castillo, dedicado a Kukulkan, que se integraron en el
programa STK. Las alineaciones celestes se confirmaron después de invertir el reloj para tener en cuenta los ciclos de precesión de la Tierra. Además, los modelos de computadora destacaron la arquitectura de precisión de los
sitios y demostraron su utilidad de observación para los objetos celestes. A través de la colaboración con sabios
mayas y aztecas contemporáneos, estudios como este pueden proporcionar una comprensión cultural más profunda de los sitios sagrados indígenas, así como hacer que los datos sean más accesibles.
Thesis Chapters by Jason S . Cordova
The finished Digital Codex is a virtual museum exhibit, inspired by ancient Mesoamerican codices, displayed on the Museum of Prehispanic Astronomy's website. The Citlalin Codex combines traditional knowledge with innovative technology, facilitating knowledge transmission and remote fieldwork. It exemplifies the project's commitment to preserving cultural astronomy knowledge in an engaging and accessible format. The exhibit highlights the importance of star lore in fostering family bonding and cultural identity within Indigenous Mexicayotl communities.
The project employs ethnographic and autoethnographic fieldwork approaches, drawing upon Maryboy and Begay's comparative astronomy format from Sharing the Skies: Navajo Astronomy, to effectively present data. Cross-cultural analysis of star lore is informed by Barre Toelken's Dynamics of Folklore. To establish the digital codex, I conducted an in-depth exploration of vernacular star lore that emphasizes the importance of celestial bodies and events within the cultural practices of Indigenous Mexicayotl practitioners. Employing participant observation and ethnographic interviews, I examined how these groups draw upon ancient Mesoamerican cosmovision to preserve their ancestral practices, which are ingrained with the foundational cultural astronomy elements of timekeeping, ritual, navigation/orientation, and knowledge transmission. Three vernacular expressions exemplify the seamless integration of these foundational astronomy elements into the cultural fabric of the Mexicayotl way of life: the Mesoamerican calendar system, the Danza Azteca, and the Mesoamerican Ball Game.
The Digital Codex Project integrates multimedia by combining original artwork with Stellarium planetarium software, illustrating star lore elements and providing an engaging and interactive experience for users. These innovative methods aim to preserve and share cultural astronomy knowledge in an accessible manner. Since its inception, the project has evolved significantly to meet the needs of the Indigenous community and maintain its relevance for a broader audience. The goal was to create a valuable resource to directly benefit the community, focusing on both young audiences and the general public, rather than to serve solely academic interests.
The project serves as a powerful tool for preserving Indigenous cultural astronomy and fostering community engagement. By highlighting the resilience of Mexicayotl communities in confronting colonial legacies, the project supports the revitalization of ancestral practices. Additionally, it paves the way for educational outreach programs that broaden public understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems and their role in comprehending the cosmos. Expanding the Digital Codex scope will incorporate a broader range of Mesoamerican cultural astronomy practices and stories, enhanced by additional multimedia elements. A digital archive, hosted by the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest, will provide access to star lore data for Indigenous communities and researchers, addressing the limitations of the Digital Codex Exhibit.
Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), a powerful physics modeling computer program, to evaluate the astronomical alignments of Chichén Itzá in Mexico. Using surveys and satellite images, computer models were created for
El Caracol and El Castillo, the pyramid dedicated to Kukulkan, which were integrated into the STK program. The
celestial alignments were confirmed after turning back the clock to take into account the Earth's precession cycles.
In addition, the computer models highlighted the precision architecture of the sites and demonstrated their observational utility for celestial objects. Through collaboration with contemporary Mayan and Aztec elders, studies
like this can provide a deeper cultural understanding of Indigenous sacred sites, in addition to making data more
accessible.
Un estudio realizado en 2011 por estudiantes de la Metropolitan State University en Denver utilizó Analytical
Graphics Incorporated, Systems Tool Kit (STK), un poderoso software de modelado de física, para evaluar las
alineaciones astronómicas de Chichén Itzá en México. A través de encuestas e imágenes satelitales, se crearon
modelos de computadora para El Caracol y la pirámide El Castillo, dedicado a Kukulkan, que se integraron en el
programa STK. Las alineaciones celestes se confirmaron después de invertir el reloj para tener en cuenta los ciclos de precesión de la Tierra. Además, los modelos de computadora destacaron la arquitectura de precisión de los
sitios y demostraron su utilidad de observación para los objetos celestes. A través de la colaboración con sabios
mayas y aztecas contemporáneos, estudios como este pueden proporcionar una comprensión cultural más profunda de los sitios sagrados indígenas, así como hacer que los datos sean más accesibles.
The finished Digital Codex is a virtual museum exhibit, inspired by ancient Mesoamerican codices, displayed on the Museum of Prehispanic Astronomy's website. The Citlalin Codex combines traditional knowledge with innovative technology, facilitating knowledge transmission and remote fieldwork. It exemplifies the project's commitment to preserving cultural astronomy knowledge in an engaging and accessible format. The exhibit highlights the importance of star lore in fostering family bonding and cultural identity within Indigenous Mexicayotl communities.
The project employs ethnographic and autoethnographic fieldwork approaches, drawing upon Maryboy and Begay's comparative astronomy format from Sharing the Skies: Navajo Astronomy, to effectively present data. Cross-cultural analysis of star lore is informed by Barre Toelken's Dynamics of Folklore. To establish the digital codex, I conducted an in-depth exploration of vernacular star lore that emphasizes the importance of celestial bodies and events within the cultural practices of Indigenous Mexicayotl practitioners. Employing participant observation and ethnographic interviews, I examined how these groups draw upon ancient Mesoamerican cosmovision to preserve their ancestral practices, which are ingrained with the foundational cultural astronomy elements of timekeeping, ritual, navigation/orientation, and knowledge transmission. Three vernacular expressions exemplify the seamless integration of these foundational astronomy elements into the cultural fabric of the Mexicayotl way of life: the Mesoamerican calendar system, the Danza Azteca, and the Mesoamerican Ball Game.
The Digital Codex Project integrates multimedia by combining original artwork with Stellarium planetarium software, illustrating star lore elements and providing an engaging and interactive experience for users. These innovative methods aim to preserve and share cultural astronomy knowledge in an accessible manner. Since its inception, the project has evolved significantly to meet the needs of the Indigenous community and maintain its relevance for a broader audience. The goal was to create a valuable resource to directly benefit the community, focusing on both young audiences and the general public, rather than to serve solely academic interests.
The project serves as a powerful tool for preserving Indigenous cultural astronomy and fostering community engagement. By highlighting the resilience of Mexicayotl communities in confronting colonial legacies, the project supports the revitalization of ancestral practices. Additionally, it paves the way for educational outreach programs that broaden public understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems and their role in comprehending the cosmos. Expanding the Digital Codex scope will incorporate a broader range of Mesoamerican cultural astronomy practices and stories, enhanced by additional multimedia elements. A digital archive, hosted by the Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest, will provide access to star lore data for Indigenous communities and researchers, addressing the limitations of the Digital Codex Exhibit.